ST. PAUL, Minn. — A new documentary from Twin Cities PBS will transport audiences back to the bohemian heyday of Cedar-Riverside, the Minneapolis neighborhood that nurtured a fusion of folk, bluegrass, reggae and rock — and helped shape Minnesota’s musical identity.
The Wild West Bank Sound will premiere April 19 at the Minneapolis St. Paul International Film Festival (MSPIFF) before airing on TPT 2 and streaming on the PBS App on April 21. The film blends archival footage, historic photographs and firsthand accounts from musicians and community members to trace the rise of a creative hub often described as mythical in local cultural lore.
“For many Minnesotans, the West Bank holds an almost mythic place in our cultural zeitgeist,” said Daniel Bergin, executive producer and WEM Endowed Director of History at Twin Cities PBS. “What makes this film special is hearing directly from the musicians and community members who lived it. Their stories show how a small neighborhood became an incubator for creativity that helped shape Minnesota’s music identity.”
The documentary comes from the same production team behind acclaimed music histories including The Minneapolis Sound, First Avenue: Closer to the Stars and Minnesota Hardcore. But while those films focused on iconic venues and genres, The Wild West Bank Sound zooms in on a single neighborhood’s ecosystem — the coffeehouses, bars, record shops and activist spaces that turned Cedar-Riverside into a gathering place for experimentation and artistic expression.
Producer Kevin Dragseth said the project grew from conversations with scene veterans whose stories had never been fully captured.
“As we began talking to people who were part of the West Bank music scene, it quickly became clear how many incredible stories were still waiting to be told,” Dragseth said. “This film is really about listening to those voices and letting them paint a picture of a time and place that meant so much to so many.”
Beyond the film itself, Twin Cities PBS plans additional outreach efforts including partnerships with local music organizations, artists and cultural institutions tied to the Cedar-Riverside neighborhood. The MSPIFF premiere is intended as a community-centered launch, offering audiences a chance to experience the documentary alongside the people and traditions it celebrates.
The documentary builds on Twin Cities PBS’s broader mission of place-based storytelling. The organization, established nearly 70 years ago, now reaches more than 4.3 million people monthly through broadcast channels, online resources and community engagement. Its national productions include America Outdoors with Baratunde Thurston, SciGirls and Hero Elementary.
For now, however, the focus is on the West Bank — a small wedge of Minneapolis that, for a few feverish decades, punched far above its weight in shaping the sound of the state.
The Wild West Bank Sound premieres April 19 at MSPIFF. It will air on TPT 2 and be available on the PBS App beginning April 21.
Producers
Cyn Collins is a Minneapolis-based writer, radio host, and historian whose work documents the people, places, and movements that shaped the Twin Cities music scene. She is the host of KFAI’s Spin with Cyn and the author of West Bank Boogie: 40 Years of Music, Mayhem and Memories and Complicated Fun: The Birth of Minneapolis Punk and Indie Rock. Through her writing and broadcasting, Collins has helped preserve the stories of artists and communities that defined Minneapolis music culture, with a particular focus on the West Bank and its lasting influence. Her work has appeared in the Star Tribune, City Pages, Twin Cities Daily Planet, and other publications, contributing to a broader understanding of the region’s creative legacy.
Daniel Pierce Bergin creates media that explores diverse people, places, and the past through restorative narratives. The Twin Cities PBS Executive Producer and WEM Endowed Director of History has won over 20 regional Emmy awards for productions ranging from 30-second PSAs to feature length documentaries including Jim Crow of the North, Out North: MNLGBTQ History, Lost Twin Cities 5, and Make it OK: Mental Illness & Stigma. His documentary With Impunity: Men & Gender Violence was named “Best Documentary of 2012” by Mpls/St. Paul Magazine. Daniel has had films broadcast across the PBS system and screened at a range of festivals including Input, Pan African Film Festival, the Minneapolis St Paul International Film Festival, The Hollywood Black Film Festival, and Chicago International Children’s Film Festival. The Minneapolis native and University of Minnesota graduate has served as a director on the boards of several community media organizations. Daniel has been an adjunct instructor and lectured and presented in countless schools, colleges, and community settings. He has been recognized as a MN State Arts Board Fellow, a MN Artist of the Year, and was awarded a Bush Leadership Fellowship for his work in community media.
Kevin Dragseth is an Emmy Award-winning filmmaker with more than 30 years of experience creating story-driven, human-centered media. A graduate of Gustavus Adolphus College, he brings his background in history to his work as a key member of the Twin Cities PBS History Team. Dragseth’s work centers on documentary and multicultural storytelling, with a focus on under-told histories and voices often left out of the mainstream narrative. His films frequently explore themes of racism, equity, and social change, grounding each project in the lived experiences of the communities he portrays. Known for his distinct visual style and thoughtful approach to storytelling, Dragseth has been producing at Twin Cities PBS since 2015. His recent credits include Broadcast Wars, You Are Here: Wicked Minnehaha, and Jesse Ventura Shocks the World.
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